MIDDLETOWN - Moe's Southwest Grill, a taco and burrito chain that is expanding at the Jersey Shore, is constructing a restaurant on Route 35 in Middletown.

The new restaurant will be located at the edge of Middletown Plaza, the shopping center at the intersection of Route 35 and Harmony Road. It is anchored by ShopRite.

A spokeswoman for Moe's said the restaurant is expected to open sometime later this year. The company has restaurants on Route 9 in Marlboro and and Route 37 in Toms River. "We're excited to be expanding in New Jersey," the spokeswoman said. No other information was available.

Workers recently demolished a small 1,798-square-foot building, formerly an optical store, alongside the highway. The new Moe's will be 2,603 square feet.

For news of other construction in the area, check out the What's Going There video playlist at the top of this story.

Union Beach resident James Martin said he drives to the Moe's restaurant in Marlboro. He's looking forward to the new restaurant in Middletown.

"The quality of the food is very good," Martin said. "The service is great."

Moe's is not the only new Mexican-inspired restaurant coming to Route 35 and Middletown.

In December, Wahoo's, the California-based restaurant chain that serves a fusion of Brazilian, Mexican and Asian food, said it plans to open its first New Jersey location at the Marketplace at Middletown, the revitalized Middletown Shopping Center.

Have you seen a construction project in Monmouth or Ocean counties and wanted to know what was going there? Contact business writer David P. Willis at dwillis@gannettnj.com, and we will look into it for a future column.

Attention NJ business owners and professionals -- and anyone who just loves shopping at the Shore: Business reporter Mike Diamond and Press on Your Side's David P. Willis are your number one source for all things business and retail in New Jersey.?